OSHKOSH, Wis.- The UW-Oshkosh softball team took on UW-Whitewater on Wednesday afternoon (April 16) at the UW-Oshkosh Softball Park, splitting the doubleheader with a 1-0 loss and a 9-1 win in six innings. The run-rule win was the first over the Warhawks for the Titans at home in program history.
The Titans (25-3, 3-1 WIAC), ranked 11th in the nation by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, tallied 16 hits to the No. 20 Warhawks' (22-4, 1-1 WIAC) eight. UW-Oshkosh stranded 10 batters against UW-Whitewater's seven and both teams committed an error in the first game.
In game one,
Amanda Martineck (So. • Frankfort, Ill.) was 2-for-3 at the dish with a double.
Cali Divito (Sr. • Inverness, Ill.) also notched a double in game one as she was 1-for-3 at the plate and
Lizzie Slobodecki (Sr. • Carol Stream, Ill.) stole her second base of the season.
In the circle to start the opener was
Sydney Nemetz (Sr. • Marinette). Nemetz pitched a gem by going the distance, pitching all seven innings. She struck out three batters and gave up just one run, suffering the loss and moving her record to 10-2 on the season.
Game one's lone run came in the top of the first inning when Whitewater scored on a throw to catch a runner stealing.
Oshkosh reached second base three times in the contest but couldn't advance a runner further.
In game two,
Haylie Wittman (Jr. • Kaukauna) was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, knocked in a run, and scored twice.
Sydney Rau (Fifth • Downers Grove, Ill.) was solid in game two going 2-for-3, driving in two runs, and scoring twice. Martineck sent in a pair of RBIs on 1-for-3 from the plate.
Grace Nardi (Fr. • Marquette, Mich.) started game two for the Titans. She tossed four innings, struck out two, gave up two hits and one unearned run before collecting the win to move her to 7-0 on the year.
Brianna Bougie (So. • Oshkosh) pitched in relief for Oshkosh. In two scoreless innings of work, she struck out two and earned the save, her fifth this year.
Game two had more action with 10 total runs scored, nine of which crossed the plate in Oshkosh's favor.
Abby Garceau (Sr. • Mishicot) got the scoring started in the bottom of the second inning. After
Sarah Hammerton (So. • Appleton) walked and stole second base, she singled to center field to score Hammerton.
Whitewater responded the top of the third by scoring off an error to tie the game at a run apiece.
Oshkosh added two more runs to its tally in the bottom of the third. Wittman knocked a leadoff single and advanced to second on a
Sydney Rau single and third on a Divito sacrifice bunt. She beat out the throw home when
Morgan Rau (Fifth • Downers Grove, Ill.) reached on a fielder's choice.
Sydney Rau made the score 3-1 on Martineck's sacrifice fly to center field.
In the fourth, Wittman singled to push the Titans' lead to three by scoring
Mary Kate Quaid (Fr. • Aurora, Ill.). Quaid pinch hit for designated player
Morgan Miller (Jr. • Schaumburg, Ill.), singling to center field. She moved around the base path when Garceau laid down a sacrifice bunt and
Sophie Wery (Sr. • Seymour) singled through the left side.
The Titans walked off the shortened conference contest, plating five on five hits, a walk, and an error in the bottom of the sixth. Quaid again led off the frame with a single. She was pinch ran for by
Olivia Baugnet (Fr. • De Pere) who scored from first on Wery's double to left center. Wittman moved her to third with a double of her own and both crossed the plate on
Sydney Rau's single. Martineck scored
Sydney Rau with a single and
Morgan Rau, who reached on a walk, tallied the Titans' ninth run when Hammerton poked the ball between the Warhawks' second baseman's legs.
The Titans will next gear up for a road trip to River Falls to take on the Falcons (16-12, 1-3 WIAC) on Saturday (April 19) at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Faye Perkins Softball Stadium.
